


Contraband

by dotfic



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-09-07
Updated: 2005-09-07
Packaged: 2017-10-11 05:58:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/109153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dotfic/pseuds/dotfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin pushes his luck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Contraband

Title: Contraband  
Disclaimer: I don't own them.  
Summary: Robin pushes his luck.  
First posted to LJ: 9//2005  
Written for the dc_flashfiction skippylist challenge, #34, because chalcopyrite asked for a sequel to #33.

* * *

Alfred began clearing away the remains of the dinner trays as Batman stalked towards the long black car, Robin in his wake like the colorful tail of a particularly dark comet.

Batman halted so abruptly that Robin crashed into him from behind. The boy hastily scrambled back, but Batman barely seemed to notice the impact. He raised his cowled head, sniffed the air, then turned.

"Hand it over."

"Hand what over?"

"You know." He bent slightly, putting his face closer to the boy's, scowling.

Anyone else would have quavered. Robin flashed an ear-to-ear, toothy grin.

Forgetting about clearing away plates, Alfred watched this face-off. His hand twitched as if at any moment, he might need to step forward and intervene with calming words.

"I smell watermelon." Batman stood up straight and glared.

"Oh, you mean this." Robin reached into a fold of his scarlet tunic and produced a pack of bubblegum.

"What did I tell you last night?"

"I'm not chewing gum. See?" He stucked out his tongue. "Myahhhh." The tongue vanished. "Besides, I brought enough to share." From another pocket he produced another pack of gum, this one peppermint. "Would you like a piece of gum, Batman?" He asked politely, holding out the pack.

Alfred made a small noise that turned into a cough.

"No. Thank. You." It sounded as though Batman were gritting his teeth. "What else have you stashed away?"

Robin shrugged and began patting various parts of his tunic. Things rattled. "Jujyfruits, more bubblegum, gummi bears, jelly beans..."

"You should be using those pockets for other things," Batman intoned sternly.

"Like what?"

"Gas pellets. Anti-toxin pills. A flare. Rebreather." He ticked the items off on his fingers. "Take them out and put them on the table. You're leaving them here."

"But what if we get trapped somewhere with no food? This candy could save our lives."

Batman didn't say anything. He just _looked_. The boy swallowed and then began pulling out the packages of candy.

Joining them, Alfred offered a tray, so Robin piled up the candy there instead of on the table.

"Can I have it back after we go on patrol?" He asked hopefully.

With a flutter of cape, Batman turned back towards the car. "You aren't going on patrol."

All cheeky confidence drained from Robin's body. His face below the eyemask turned unusually pale. "What?"

"This isn't a game. You can't store jujyfruits in your uniform."

"Awwww." Robin flung himself into the big chair in front of the computer banks, arms folded, slumped down, his cape spread beneath him.

The batmobile roared out of the cave like a beast eager to be after its prey. Robin spun the chair around and around.

"Don't be despondent, Master Richard." Putting out a hand, Alfred stopped the chair's dizzying rotations. "It's only for tonight. Er...he does have a point."

"Yeah." He kicked one green-booted foot half-heartedly. "I just do it because it's fun to annoy him."

"You do like to live dangerously, lad. Now go get changed, and do your homework."

Robin removed himself from the chair by doing a handstand on the arms, then flipping himself over the back. He landed perfectly.

"I'll just put these away in the pantry for safe keeping." Alfred hesitated, then took one of the boxes off the tray and placed it carefully on the computer's main keyboard. The brightly colored box looked strange there against the gray and black panels and keys.

"Hey, whatcha doing?" Robin watched.

"Jujyfruits were Master Bruce's favorite when he was a child. I thought perhaps he might want some upon his return."

 

34\. (Next day) Not allowed to chew gum at formation even if I *did* bring enough for everybody.


End file.
